One Delegate's Experience

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Delegate Pitch

Right after the county caucus, Cathy put out an invitation to national delegate candidates: Write an email to make your case as to why you should be one of our four delegates.

I don’t know whether there will be a chance to speak to the CD caucus and make a pitch there. So if I’m going to run, I might as well try to win, and this is my best chance to articulate why I’m running.

I started writing this a few days ago, as I started to see emails from other candidates introducing themselves. (We have some great people running, I wish we could all go.) This is what I sent to the group today:

My name is Obbie; please allow me to introduce myself as a prospective Bernie delegate to the DNC.

A delegate does far more than cast a vote for Bernie on the convention floor. Delegates also decide on a party’s agenda and priorities for the coming years. So it’s important that our movement sends as many loud and persuasive voices as possible to Philadelphia, in order to insure the Democratic platform reflects the values of this campaign.

Even if we are in the minority, I believe that on many issues ($15 minimum wage, universal health care, free public university tuition, etc.) we can find enough Clinton delegates who agree with us to advance those issues onto the platform.

I also believe that a bold vision will bring far more success in the general election than cautious incrementalism. Our platform must reflect our aspirational goals, even though we may accept incremental steps that bring us closer those goals.

Getting a Democrat (hopefully Bernie!) into the White House will be meaningless if we cannot elect a Democratic House and Senate. And a Democratically-controlled federal government will be of little comfort to citizens living in states controlled and dominated by the other party.

So this convention must produce a vision that will motivate citizens to vote for Democrats everywhere on the ballot. We must also find ways to channel and unify the immense energy and enthusiasm of ALL Democrats toward a victory in November.

To bring Bernie’s movement to the DNC is a tall order, but I feel that I can help to bring that about. I’ve spent my entire adult life as a campaigner for ecological sustainability, economic fairness, and social justice. I know how to convey a convincing argument quickly and succinctly, and I’m not afraid to politely engage with someone I might disagree with.

Most of all, the movement behind the Bernie campaign is more in sync with my world-view than any other presidential campaign in my lifetime. Win or lose, I am determined to move our movement forward into a dominant position for the general election.

I would be honored to serve as a Bernie delegate to help make these things happen, and I humbly ask for your vote to help me get there.